Kenny said he disagreed with Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald who said there was a difference between the IRA killing Irish police officers and killing RUC officers.

Adams said the death of police officer Adrian Donohue, who was gunned down in a robbery at a County Louth credit union last Friday was a trigger for his apology.

He said: “I want to apologise to Mrs Anne McCabe and the McCabe family, and to Garda (police officer) Ben O’Sullivan and to the families of other members of the state forces who were killed by republicans in the course of the conflict.”

“I am very sorry for the pain and loss inflicted on those families. No words of mine can remove that hurt. Dreadful events cannot be undone.

“But I want to restate that the resolve of Sinn Fein and of the majority of Irish people is to ensure that there is never, ever a recurrence of conflict.”